Platform

Growing the middle class

Alabama’s has a high concentration of federal employees in the Huntsville area. Party interests should never support voting for a shutdown that takes money out of the pockets of our district’s hardworking people—especially federal employees and contractors working at Redstone Arsenal.

As U.S. Senator for the State of Alabama, Dr. Boyd will:

Always put the interests of the people of the Alabama before the interests of “The Party.”

Seek to put 100,000 people in the State of Alabama back to work by investing $3 billion in infrastructure projects (rebuilding failing bridges, improving roadways, transit systems).

Invest $140 million into high school trade centers and community colleges for the purpose of trade readjustment (improving the skill sets of workers to meet demands of changing economy).

Repeal and replace The Student Success Act with a student success bill that improves primary and secondary student achievement levels while also improving higher learning preparedness in a way that results in fewer dropouts and yields higher job acquisition rates.

Protecting the poor

Alabama is the nation’s sixth poorest state. According to AlabamaPossible1, 900,000 people in our state live in poverty. About one-third (or 300,000 of the 900,000) living in poverty are children! Nearly one million people in Alabama have a quality of life that has been diminished primarily because of a lack of a good education and shrinking opportunities for job acquisition. Poor and middle classes continue to struggle in this difficult economy as the upper class continues to get wealthier. There is even greater concern that even more will slip into poverty and not even have access to affordable health care as the Affordable Healthcare Act is being repealed and replaced by a healthcare plan that will render less Alabamians insured and do little to help those on Medicare and Medicaid.

As U.S. Senator for the State of Alabama, Dr. Boyd will:

Partner with for-profit and non-profit organizations which seek to provide opportunities to improve student success and increase job acquisition following secondary and post-secondary education.

Work to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2018, moving toward a Living Wage as there should be no reason why working Alabama families should have to live in poverty.

Ensure that all have access to affordable healthcare and decent public education.

Create jobs for 1,000 disadvantaged youth by investing $20 million dollars in a youth jobs program aimed at first generation college students.

Fighting for women’s rights

This year, the nation celebrates ninety six years since women were given the right to vote. Women have the right to vote; but, they continue to be denied equal job compensation. Even with the passing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2012, there is still great disparity between women and their male counterparts. Women are not only being treated unfairly in the workplace, they are also being undermined by politicians. In an attempt to “throw out the baby with the bathwater,” Republicans continue to push for defunding and closing of agencies and organizations established to primarily provide women’s health services. Arguing for “less government,” the very same politicians want the government to take a more active role in women’s healthcare—deciding what a woman can and cannot do with her own body! While Dr. Boyd, who is a clergyman and Christian counselor, is pro-life, he does not believe the federal government has the right to make decisions about a woman’s healthcare.

According to AL.com opinion writer Karen Davenport2, many women critically depend financially and medically health care coverage through Medicaid as Alabama is among the twenty-five states that refused funding available through the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid and provide coverage to more low-income individuals (http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/02/low-income_women_in_alabama_la.html). Furthermore, AlabamaPossible reports that Alabama’s refusal to accepted funding provided under the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid and provide additional coverage for low-income individuals has left 124,000 women in Alabama below the poverty level ineligible for assistance through Alabama’s Medicaid program (http://alabamapossible.org/datasheet/).

As U.S. Senator for the State of Alabama, Dr. Boyd will:

Combat income inequality, working to ensure that women are truly paid the same wages for the same work.

Champion the rights of women—especially those who are victims of crimes which include abuse, bullying, domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault.

Secure funding for organizations that provide healthcare for women even as Republicans seek to defund them and misinform citizens about their missions and organizing activities.

Partner with other members of Congress who will support and introduce legislation that helps fill the healthcare/Medicaid coverage gap that exists for women in Alabama, especially the women in the Fifth Congressional District identified as female heads of households with children.

Seeking justice for all

For many decades, people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and social upbringing have fought together and struggled alongside each other to advance civil rights of all people, regardless of race, creed, or religious beliefs. Yet, our nation seems to be more divided, especially since the election of the last two U.S. Presidents.